Opinion: More supermarkets must show they value farmers
© Adobe Stock Having done the weekly online food shop, complete with the standard bananas that inevitably won’t be ripe until the spring equinox, I glimpsed a link to the supermarket’s agriculture page.
Clicking it led to one of those internet tailspins that are hard to pull out of.
Three hours and a box of Quality Street later, I’d circumnavigated my way round all the major supermarkets’ agricultural policies and planet-saving commitments.
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There were two common threads on every site.
First, you obviously require a nice visual of either a farmer leaning on a gate in deep conversation with someone emblazoned in the supermarket’s logo, or, better still, a farmer kneeling awkwardly, while staring into the distance with a chicken or cabbage under their arm.
Second, and most importantly, you need to emphasise how proud you are of your long-term relationships with – and unwavering support for – British farmers.
It may have been the sugar rush from the chocolates, but my blood started to boil.
It’s been almost three months since the Budget and two since thousands of us stood on a damp Whitehall and very politely reminded the government and the general public not to take us for granted.
With the exception of a much-appreciated and potentially important expression of solidarity by Morrisons, the reaction of supermarkets has been to not publicly back us when we need them the most.
Let’s not beat about the bush. The power and control these few organisations have over not only the food supply chain, but the health of the public, is obscene.
It’s no coincidence that the rise of the supermarkets has coincided with the fall in agricultural margins, the degradation of our environment and the rise of an obesity epidemic.
Why not come out and throw just a little bit of that weight behind the people who work tirelessly to make sure your shelves never go empty? Every poll says the public – your customers – are fully behind us, so why not you?
As I’m regularly reminded at home, relationships are a two-way street.
There has to be a little love given in return, otherwise it’s less of a relationship and more of a hostage situation.
From pledging to reduce carbon footprints and sharing endless data to adopting regenerative principles, every year we are being asked to go further to support the supermarkets’ overarching goals.
Surely now is the time for them to back us in our very simple goal – to ensure the next generation can follow in our footsteps.
This isn’t simply about money, it’s about our heritage, our children’s futures and whether you’ll be able to fill your shelves in years to come.
As frustration grows, we get ever closer to pushing the button on our nuclear options – blockades and food shortages.
While this decision is not to be taken lightly, all parties, including supermarkets, should understand that it does exist.
If I was on the board of a supermarket, I’d be doing everything in my power to make sure the blockades were firmly at my competitors’ depots.
Competitive advantage comes in all shapes and sizes.
I’d certainly be less likely to park my tractor and muckspreader outside a company that has backed our cause.
So my message to the supermarkets is simple: If you’re truly determined to “develop a more resilient and sustainable British agricultural industry”, making sure there is a British agricultural industry is probably a good place to start.